Zelink Week 2017
by tfloosh
Summary: An unrelated series of one-shots written for Zelink Week on Tumblr.
1. The Beat of Your Heart

It was the absence of sun that awoke Zelda. Normally the sun streaming through the hole in the roof of their little shack on the Surface was what woke her in the mornings. But there was no sun shining brightly in her eyes this time. Zelda rolled onto her back and examined the new room she was in.

Link had finished their new house just yesterday and had insisted on, uh, christening it when they were done moving in as their first official residence as a newlywed couple that did not leak when it rained (Link was rather proud of the fact that the roof did not leak). Zelda felt torn between laughing and blushing when her eyes caught a crooked picture on the wall Link had pushed her up against, and the clothes strewn across the floor, and Link's wild hair when she turned her head.

Her husband was out like a light; his face drawn up into a little pout that reminded Zelda of the youthfulness his face had lost in the years since they had first journeyed to the Surface. It was amazing to think five years had passed since their harrowing adventure had brought them to the Surface in the first place. They had both decided to stay when all was said and done, and with a little help from the people of Skyloft, they had built a few temporary dwellings to stay in while other, more permanent buildings could be constructed. In that time, a small town had been constructed around the Sealed Temple and quite a few of Skyloft's residents had moved down to the Surface.

It started with Groose, then Strich so he could quest for more insects, then Pipit and Karane after their marriage, followed by Gondo and his mother, Greba, and Piper and Gully. It wasn't until Zelda's father came down to the Surface that Link finally proposed to her.

Link shifted in his sleep, curling closer to Zelda. A giggle escaped her lips, and he cracked open his blue eyes.

"Good morning, sleepy head," Zelda whispered as she leaned down to plant a kiss on Link's forehead. "Did you sleep well?"

"Best sleep I've had in years," Link replied, his voice rough from slumber. "There's nothing better for a good night's sleep than the absence of the wind rattling loose planks."

Zelda laughed, clear and ringing. Link's eyes softened, and he reached up to bring Zelda into a kiss. They stayed in bed considerably longer than Zelda would usually deem appropriate on a work day, but she figured it was a special occasion.

"Let me make you breakfast," Link smiled down at Zelda. She was laying across his chest, idly drawing shapes with her finger and listening to his heart beating. It was strong and never failed to put her at ease.

"I don't want you to burn down our brand new house just yet, Link," Zelda sighed. She looked up into Link's blue eyes and laughed at his scandalized reaction.

"It's not that you don't think I can make breakfast without burning something," Link huffed over Zelda's giggles. "It's the fact that you actually think that I will actively burn down our home at some point. I worked for over a year on this house, Zelda; do you really think I would ever put it in danger of burning?"

"As much as you hate to admit it," Zelda smiled. "Despite being the Chosen Hero of the Goddess, you are still a klutzy sleepy head." She reached up to kiss him on the nose. "I'll make breakfast." She started to crawl out of bed, but Link wrapped his arms tightly around her.

"No, Zelda, as the man of the house, it is my duty to provide for you," Link half grumbled, half laughed as Zelda tried to struggle out of his grip. "And I demand to provide you with breakfast."

"Only if I'm allowed to supervise," Zelda countered with a laugh as they continued to half-heartedly wrestle.

"No," Link grabbed her hands to playfully pin her down. "I am going to make my wife breakfast in bed because I love her, and she is going to enjoy it."

Zelda looked up at Link, who was now leaning over her, "Fine. If my loving husband wishes to treat me to breakfast in bed, then I won't protest."

"Thank you, my dear," Link leaned down to plant one more kiss on her lips before scrambling out of bed. "Just sit tight, and I'll be right back."

Zelda was determined to not laugh when Link almost fell putting his pants on or when she heard the distant sound of falling pots and skillets.

"Goddesses, help him," Zelda mumbled as she rolled out of bed to find a nightgown and robe. She settled back in bed with her favorite book and waited for Link to return with breakfast. She was a little concerned when she heard the back door open and close but decided to heed Link's wish and stay in bed.

A little over a half hour later, Link backed into the room with a small tray topped with plates of eggs and bacon, toast, and a glass of milk. There was even a small vase with a flower Zelda recognized from the grounds outside the Sealed Temple.

"For you, my loving wife," Link bowed slightly as he placed the tray atop Zelda's lap.

"Link," she gasped. He had truly gone all out using the nice dishes they had received as a wedding present. The jam and butter for the toast had been artfully spread, the eggs were cooked over easy with extra pepper, and the bacon was crispy but not too dry. It was all Zelda's favorite breakfast foods perfectly cooked.

"And you thought I would burn something," Link crossed his arms with a smug grin on his face.

"I'm sure my brand new kitchen is completely ruined now, though," Zelda hummed as she took a bite from her eggs.

"Don't worry; I'll clean it," he smirked as he stole one of her pieces of bacon.

"Hey now," Zelda laughed while swatting uselessly at him. "Go clean my kitchen, and let me enjoy my amazing breakfast."

"Anything for my loving wife," Link bowed as he left the bedroom.

Zelda could only shake her head as she resumed reading while she finished her breakfast.


	2. Discourse

It was something the crew noticed early on in Link and Tetra's relationship. It's not like they tried to hide it or anything, so the crew was worried. Because it was happening constantly. Like every time someone saw them, they were doing it.

Fighting.

Link and Tetra argued.

A lot.

Sometimes it was big fights over whether or not they should find new land and establish a New Hyrule, but most of the time it was petty disagreements.

"Tetra, how could you not believe in the Great Fairy? We've been to a magical castle at the bottom of the ocean of Triforce's sake!"

"No, Link, we are _not_ going that way just because you saw a shiny light."

"Stop making fun of the Koroks, Tetra. It's not nice."

If it weren't for the fact that Link and Tetra really did seem to enjoy spending time together, the crew would have intervened. But there were some times they really contemplated letting Gonzo release his over-protective side. They try and rationalize that they're doing what's best for their captain, but in all honesty, they had never seen Tetra more miserable than when Link was away visiting his family or they were giving each other the silent treatment after a rare, big fight.

"Why do you guys worry so much?" Tetra snapped at them when they asked. "It's just how we talk. Get over it."

"Well, it's just," Nudge stuttered. "You argue a lot. We're not entirely sure it's healthy."

Tetra rested her head on her palm, "Guys, this is our normal. Link puts up with my argumentative side and has the balls to argue back, and I really-" a blush spread over her cheeks, and she started rushing her words, "I really like him, okay?"

"You goin' soft of us, boss?" Mako teased.

"No!" Tetra's face reddened further. "I just, - sometimes it's, ya know… Shut up!" she stormed into her room, and if there was a door to slam, she would have done it.

"I guess I should make her a door soon," Link's sheepish voice piped up from behind the crew. They all turned to face him. "She is right, though. Fighting's kinda our normal. Nagging and arguing is just Tetra's style; it's how she operates. I think it comforts her to know someone's there to challenge her, hold her accountable if she's wrong, and keep her heading in the right direction." Link's brow furrowed. "Even if we don't agree on what the right direction is."

"We know you're good for her, Link," Niko smiled.

"We're just worried about our captain," Nudge continued. "You know how it is."

"Yeah, I do," Link nodded. "And I appreciate you all the more for it." He started to make his way through the pirates to Tetra's room. "So, ah, if you'll excuse me, I'll talk with her and see if I can cool her down." He tripped slightly when he got past all the crew members. "Now would be a great time for you to all get back to the deck."

The pirates didn't move.

"Please?"

Still no movement.

"Leave us alone, you idiot pirates!"

"Thank you, Tetra," Link resisted the urge to smirk as he slipped into Tetra's room and the crew, grumbling, made their way up to the deck.

"So you only 'really like' me?" Link teased once all the pirates were done straggling.

"It's nice to see you, too, Link," Tetra smiled, which was usually a dangerous thing. "How's Aryll?"

Link swallowed, "Good. She's still living on Outset but still talking with that guy from Windfall."

"The guy you don't like?" she laughed. Link narrowed his eyes; it was a reluctant giggle, one Tetra was trying to fight down.

"Yes, the guy I don't like."

"Well, I like him."

Now, Link knew he was in trouble, "But you haven't met him."

"Well, as luck would have it, Aryll and Jareth, which is his name by the way, came to visit us when we were docked at that Private Oasis."

"Did you rob the Private Oasis?" Link interrupted.

"That's not the point, Link," Tetra skewered him with a glare. "The point is Aryll said she hadn't seen you the whole time you were gone. Where were you?"

"I was not visiting my family," Link decided to go with the truth. "I'm sorry I lied."

"Why?"

"I needed some time to pick out this," Link pulled a small box from his pocket.

"What is it?" Tetra's eyes zeroed in on the box excitedly, as if she could see through the velvet lining.

"I'm not gonna let you see it that easily," Link smiled to hide his laughter. "You'll have to earn it."

"You're going to make this difficult aren't you," Tetra pouted.

"No, no," he raised his hands innocently. "I just got a couple of questions."

"Fire away then," Tetra's curious eyes barely left the box still in Link's hands.

"You didn't rob the Private Oasis, did you?"

"Link,"

"Come on, Tetra," Link shook the box tantalizingly.

"No," Tetra growled out. "We returned that pompous idiot's lost thingamabob."

"Cool, now for the real questions."

"Link!"

"Do you really only 'really like' me?"

"Of course I more than really like you," Tetra looked away, a blush rising in her cheeks.

"How much more?" Link egged her on.

Tetra stared daggers at him before going to the door and looking out into the hallway. Apparently she didn't find anything because she came back to face him.

"You know I love you, Link."

"I know," he pulled her closer for a kiss. "I just like hearing you say it."

"Is that all?"

"Just one more, I promise," Link wrapped his arms around her and stole one more kiss. "Are you ready to tell everyone we found a place to establish as New Hyrule?"

"Yeah," Tetra smiled, the soft smile that wasn't dangerous. "I thought about what my mother would do," she looked over at the pictograph she kept on the wall, "and I think it's time to do what I was born to do."

"You know we don't have to reestablish the monarchy," Link said. "You can go on being a pirate."

"But I want to do this," Tetra's face hardened in determination. "New Hyrule is going to need a leader, and I'm pretty good at leading, you know." She winked up at him.

"Will you marry me?" Link asked.

"What?" her eyes widened in shock.

Link held up the box with a smile, got down on one knee, and finally opened it to reveal a gold ring with a single diamond on it, "Will you marry me?"

"Did you ask the crew about this?"

"Wait, what?" Link froze in confusion.

"You didn't ask the crew or anything?" Tetra seemed more shocked than Link. "You have to ask them first; they're practically family."

"But I don't want to marry them," Link said. "I want to marry you."

"But you need to make sure they're okay with it first," Tetra grabbed Link's hand and hauled him up onto his feet. "Goddesses' help me. Come on." She grabbed him by the collar and started dragging him out of the room.

"Where are we going?"

"To see the crew," Tetra threw open the door that led to the deck. "Listen up! Link has something important to ask."

The pirate crew left their posts and congregated around their captain and first mate. Senza, Nudge, and Gonzo crossed their arms and looked down intimidatingly at Link.

"H-hey, guys," Link stuttered. "So, uh," he held up the still open ring box, "I was gone the past couple of days to get this. And I, uh, wanted to ask Tetra to marry me." He glanced back at the captain. "So, what do you guys think?"

There was a moment where Link was sure they were all going to shout 'NO' and proceed to beat him to a pulp.

But then each member of the crew broke into a smile.

"It's a wonderful idea, Link," Niko was the first to speak up.

"I agree," Nudge gave him a thumbs up. "And I think speak for all of us when I say we approve."

Link looked to Gonzo, who was most protective of Tetra.

"Fine," he stated gruffly after a couple of seconds of staring. "Go ahead and ask her."

They all turned to Tetra, and Link got back down on one knee.

"Tetra, you are stubborn, crazy, and even mean at times, but I love you more than anything in this ocean, and I will forever be grateful the Helmaroc King dropped you on Outset Island." That got a good laugh out of everyone. "Will you do the honor of marrying me?"

"Of course I will, you idiot," Tetra flung her arms around Link, and the crew cheered excitedly for them.


	3. The Breath of the Wild

Link had always been told what the klaxons meant. Zelda had told him when he was young. She told him he couldn't tell anyone that the seals on the Great Evil had been weakening for generations.

"They might break at any moment, really," she had said as they sat in the rose garden. "That's why we have to train so much. So we're ready if Ganondorf breaks free."

Link never asked what would happen if the seals broke and they weren't ready.

But it looked like he was going to find out.

* * *

 _"Impa's really happy with our progress," Zelda smiled as they took another break from training. "She talked with Father, and I think they might take you to fetch the Master Sword soon."_

 _Link nodded from where he sat in the grass. As usual they were out in the rose garden, Zelda's favorite place in the castle._

 _"I wish I could go with you," she sighed. Link raised an eyebrow at her. "Father wants me to go visit the Shrines, which really means he doesn't want me to go with you." Zelda stood from her seat on the stone bench and sat on the grass next to Link. "They're so cautious with us. They always say we can never go anywhere together; it's too risky to allow both of us out. The kingdom couldn't survive if both of us were lost."_

 _She looked over at him. Link shrugged._

 _"I know they're just being cautious," Zelda rolled her eyes. "But that doesn't mean I can't complain about it sometimes. It's irksome, not being allowed to go with my best friend on what might be the greatest journey of his life."_

 _That caused Link to smile._

* * *

"We have to go now," Zelda cried as she pulled on his hand.

She was leading him out of the castle. Link shook his head when he realized this and started tugging Zelda in the direction of the armory. He'd be damned if they fled the castle without weapons.

"We don't have time," Zelda pleaded as she tugged back, pulling Link in the direction of the side gate that led to the stables. "We can't do anything now, Link. It's too late."

Tears were flowing silently from her eyes. Link didn't know quite what she meant, but warning flags were waving in his head; Zelda never cried. He immediately nodded and followed her out to the stables. The horse he had been training, the red mare he had privately named Epona, wasn't quite old enough to ride yet. Link rushed over to free her from her stall nonetheless. She would be smart enough to run far enough away to be safe. Then he rushed over to Zelda. She had already saddled and bridled a horse for herself and was working on one for Link. He took the tackle from her as Impa appeared with Royal and Sheikah Guards.

"My Lady," Impa bowed. "Everything is prepared. We must leave immediately."

Zelda turned to Link, and he nodded in response.

"Lead the way."

* * *

 _"How is your training with the Sheikah Slate?" Zelda asked him as they walked down the hall to the kitchen._

 _Link shrugged, "The Stasis Rune is tricky."_

 _"I bet," Zelda laughed. "It's such new technology after all. I'm still struggling with some of the mid-level spells. Din's Fire is still too weak when I cast it."_

 _Link only smiled sympathetically as he held the door to the kitchen open for her._

 _"But we'll get better," she smiled cheerfully. "I mean, how many weapons have you mastered so far?"_

 _He rubbed the back of his neck nervously as a soft blush covered his cheeks. He waved his hand in a so-so gesture._

 _"You're always so modest," she chuckled as one of the cooks placed sandwiches in front of both of them. "Last I heard, Impa had you up to five weapons including an axe and then three different types of swords."_

 _Link shook his head, looking down as he started eating his sandwich. It was true he was training to master a multitude of weapons should the worst of the worst occur._

 _"Have you started on any magical weapons yet?" Zelda asked as she started eating her own meal._

 _"The Fire Rod," Link answered quietly. "Very simple to use, but it breaks easily."_

 _"Just wait 'til you get to the magic arrows," Zelda smirked slightly as she took another bite. "_ I _even struggled to channel magic to those easily."_

 _Link only smirked back and rolled his eyes. Zelda had always struggled with offensive and weapon based magic, something that came quite easily to Link._

 _"Don't laugh," Zelda exclaimed._

 _Link shook his head vigorously and suppressed his laughter by taking another bite of his sandwich._

 _"You may not talk much, but I know when you're laughing, Link," Zelda half-heartedly stared daggers at him._

 _Link only stuck his tongue out at her._

* * *

The horses' hooves pounded against the stone as they raced through Castletown.

"We're going to the Great Plateau," Zelda called over the noise. "To the Shrine of Resurrection near the Old Temple of Time."

Link nodded curtly and pulled his stead level with Zelda's.

"Link!" one of the Royal Guards called. Link turned, and the guard tossed him a bow and quiver of arrows. Link nodded his thanks and quickly strapped the quiver across his lower back.

"Be ready for enemy forces as soon as we leave the gates," Impa called. "Our highest priority is the safety of the Princess and the Hero. They must reach the Shrine of Resurrection. Do your duty to the Kingdom of Hyrule."

"Yes, ma'am," all the guards called.

They thundered through the main gates and out into Hyrule Field. It seemed as if they rode straight into a battle field. Bokoblins were everywhere; it was all the soldiers could do to keep them at bay.

"Impa, what orders did you give the General?" Zelda called as she scanned the battle surrounding them.

"Evacuate the citizens to the towns furthest from the Old Temple of Time," Impa replied. "Then protect the city for as long as they can."

"Are we the first to leave?" she glanced behind them at the now closed gates to Castletown.

"No, My Lady," Impa's mouth tightened into a thin line. "We are the last as per your request." It was obvious Impa disagreed with Zelda's demand.

* * *

 _"Then we talked about the Ancient Hylians," Zelda continued to babble about her studies. "And their legends about the Sky People and the First Chosen Hero. You know they revered a single Goddess, Hylia, before the Golden Goddesses. But then she became mortal, and here I am." Zelda laughed as if it was an inside joke. "My teacher said there's even a statue of Her in the Old Temple of Time. He said it was almost as ancient as the Temple itself, if not more so."_

 _Link looked up from where he was sharpening the sword in front of him. He gave her a small, crooked smile._

 _"I would love to go out and see it," Zelda sighed wistfully, falling into the space on the bench beside him. "But Father says it's not safe anymore with how weak the seal's gotten. He and the monks think it's too dangerous for a Triforce bearer to get too close to the Old Temple."_

 _Link nodded solemnly as he reached for the next sword._

 _"They keep saying it's only a matter of time now," Zelda continued much more quietly. "But I don't know if I'm ready."_

 _He gave her a sympathetic, half smile, "I don't feel ready either." He paused in his sharpening. "But this might be one of those things you're never really are ready for."_

 _"Maybe the seal will hold on for a couple more years," Zelda said hopefully. "Then we'll be a bit older. I'll be almost of age, eighteen, and you'll just be a year younger, yes?"_

 _Link nodded with a bright smile, which Zelda echoed. But deep in his heart, Link, too, felt as if it might be only a matter of time before the Great Evil reemerged._

* * *

When they made it to the Great Plateau, their party had been reduced to just Link, Zelda, and Impa. The Royal Guards had fallen back to cover them from the Bokoblins that had broken away from the fight in front of Castletown to follow them. Then the Sheikah Guards left to deal with the Guardians, the great, powerful beam-shooting machines that had wreaked havoc across Hyrule the last time Ganondorf had full power. Only one, lucky shot from Link's arrow had disabled the beam on the Guardian pursuing them, causing it to fall back.

Link looked around to see the many Sheikah Towers scattered across the land sinking into the ground.

"Link!" Impa yelled. "Get ready to fire."

He whipped his head forward to see a horde of Bokoblins rushing toward them. Link readied an arrow, while Zelda began muttering a spell of some sort. They made it half way to the Shrine of Resurrection before Link ran out of arrows. Not two minutes later, Link's horse was shot down from underneath him. He tumbled to the ground and quickly attacked the nearest Bokoblin with his bow. A short scuffle ended with him taking the Bokoblin's crude spear and jumping up onto Zelda's horse when she turned around to pick him up.

"Hurry to the Shrine," Impa yelled. "I'll cover you."

"No!" Zelda screamed as she pulled on the reins to stop her horse. But Link's hands were there to stop her. "No, Link, please. Impa!"

"We have to keep moving forward," Link whispered into her ear.

Zelda passed the reins to him in response. Link steered them all the way to the cliff just under the Shrine, before the horse was taken down by Bokoblin archers.

"There's a path," Zelda pulled at Link's hand. "We just need to get inside, then we'll be safe."

They fought bitterly to reach the shrine. Link found it was easiest to just knock the Bokoblins off the side of the cliff with his spear.

"Link, use the Sheikah Slate to open the door," Zelda called when they finally reached the door to the Shrine. She cast Din's Fire to cover him.

Link made sure Zelda made it through the door first, then threw his spear to impale the nearest Bokoblin before following. The door closed behind him, instantly blocking the shrieks of the Bokoblins. He turned from the door directly into a tight hug from Zelda.

"I'm sorry, Link."

He returned her hug, moving his hands up and down her back in a reassuring manner.

"We never told you this plan, and I'm so sorry," Zelda sounded as if she was crying again. Link really didn't like it when Zelda cried.

"This was just the back-up plan," she released their hug. "The back-up of the back-ups really. But we never thought the Great Evil would be so strong when he broke free of the seals. There's no way we could have ever prepared enough."

Link stood shock still. He knew it was bad, but never did he imagine it was _this_ bad.

"So the Sheikah outfitted this Shrine with a stasis chamber," she lead him deeper into the Shrine, through another door and into what must be the stasis chamber. There were a couple of storage chests and something Link dimly recognized as a stasis bed.

"But there's only one," Link whispered. He turned to Zelda, who had tears falling from her eyes once again. "No, Zelda, you need to be the one in here. The blood of the Goddess is more important to preserve. The spirit of the hero will be reborn; it's okay."

"But it won't be reborn safely," Zelda argued. "The Great Evil isn't just Ganondorf. It's, it's a Calamity, Link. He'll sniff out your reincarnation and kill him as a child."

"And your children will be any safer?" Link yelled. Both he and Zelda were shocked; Link honestly couldn't remember the last time he talked above a whisper, let alone yelled.

Zelda took a step forward, placing a hand on his cheek, "I'll be fine, Link. I'll take up a new name and live with my people, and all the Sheikah will be protecting me from the shadows."

"But, Zelda, I-" Link started.

"I know," Zelda smiled, but Link could see the sadness she was trying to hide. "So do this for me."

Link bowed to one knee, "It is my honor and privilege, my Princess."

So Link stripped down to his shorts (which wasn't awkward at all) and laid down in the stasis bed.

"Many years may pass before you are awaken," Zelda said as she worked the controls to start the stasis process. Link could feel a liquid start to fill the stasis bed. "Though you will age in stasis, it will be much slower than normal. The Sheikah Slate will be kept here for you when you awaken."

"Be safe, Zelda," he whispered to her before the liquid caused sleep to cloud his mind, and he fell into darkness. He could have sworn he heard her voice say, "I love you, too."

Images seemed to fly past his mind's eye, but they disappeared before he could fully grasp what they were.

"I love you, too."

Was that really what she had said? It was nice, such a soothing voice. But whose voice was it? Link couldn't remember if he had heard the woman speak before. Was she really saying 'I?' No, no now it sounded like 'eyes.'

 _Open your eyes, Link._


	4. Hazardous

For Zelda Harkinian, discovering that her parents had kept a secret lair hidden deep in the mountain their estate sat on was one thing. Finding out from her old nanny turned housekeeper that they had been planning to take to the streets as vigilantes before the plane crash had been a whole 'nother jar of marbles.

At first, she had been a little offended that her parents hadn't included her in their secret plans. She was an amazing gymnast thanks to years of lessons when she was younger, and she was fairly proficient at martial arts since her parents had insisted she learn to defend herself at a young age. Impa had assured her that her parents intended to include her in their vigilantism once they deemed it safe enough, but Zelda was still irrationally angry. She had every right to be, she told herself. They left their billion dollar company to their twenty-two year old daughter who barely had her bachelor's in business under her belt, kept this potentially life altering secret from her for two years according to Impa, and they had _left_ her. She was still young, still at the beginning of her life; how was she going to make it without them?

After about a week of crying, attending boring board meetings to make her new position as CEO of the Harkinian Corporation official, and releasing her tension via punching bags, Zelda boldly declared to Impa that she would follow her parents' footsteps and become a vigilante. She spent the next two weeks after modifying her mother's intended costume and adding some of the gold accents from her father's. Her parents had apparently already raided Harkinian Corp.'s technology division for toys and goodies, so Zelda didn't have to worry there. There were grappling guns, various stunning devices, smoke bombs for a quick getaway, several nonlethal weapons, hacking devices, and even a state of the art detective's kit filled with a fingerprint duster, tracking devices, bugging equipment, and evidence bags. Zelda left the detective kit behind for her first outing; she would work up to solving crimes, she figured.

Filling her gold utility belt with everything she deemed useful, Zelda donned her outfit and readied herself for her first adventure as the Loftwing, named after the mythical birds that protected Hylians in ancient times. It took her about an hour of jumping around buildings to get used to gliding with her cape, another hour of practicing to actually land gracefully, and then a solid three hours of waiting to catch two muggers and one drug dealer. All in all, Zelda felt pretty good about her first night out. It was exhilarating. A happiness she never thought she'd feel again after losing her parents had filled her. It was as if her parents were there with her, encouraging her, lending their spirits.

It didn't take Zelda long to get addicted. Soon she was out every single night searching for bad guys and stopping crimes. Of course the police eventually caught on to her actions and branded her a public menace, but they quickly changed their tune when Loftwing ended up being the only person who could subdue the rampaging meta-human ('cause what else do you call a guy who could turn into a wild boar at will) that attacked downtown Kakariko about two months after Zelda became the Loftwing.

After bringing the meta-human in, Loftwing's public image became overwhelmingly positive, despite the grumblings of some older police captains and city councilmen. The newspapers had branded her Kakariko's Golden Girl, and the mayor had even held a clichéd ceremony to give her a key to the city.

Life had been a fairly simple balance of signing important documents, attending board meetings, and patrolling nightly. That is until _he_ came along.

Zelda had been about to turn in early from a rather uneventful night patrolling Kakariko when her scanners picked up an alarm going off at the Goron Jewel Refinery. An interesting target since most of the ore there was essentially worthless hunks of rock, but Zelda figured she should check it out anyway. It was easy enough to sneak in (something she would have to talk to the Gorons about), but the refinery seemed deserted. She carefully made her way to the room where the alarm was set off. The only thing noticeably different about the empty room was an open window a little too high for any normally motivated criminal. Whoever the thief was, they came here with a purpose.

Zelda continued to search nearby areas in the refinery. An outline of the building she had pulled up told her the storage room wasn't too far; she headed in that direction. She opened the door and was instantly blinded by the bright fluorescent lights. It took a moment for the lenses in her domino mask to adjust, but by then the element of surprise was gone.

"You took longer than I expected, Loftwing," a smooth, masculine voice called.

Zelda's head whipped around, just in time for her to raise her arms and block the kick headed her way.

"You know this isn't the best place to go jewel shopping," Zelda grunted as she responded with a couple of punches and a kick of her own.

"Now who said I was shopping for jewels?" the man laughed as he disengaged her attack.

Zelda finally got a good look at the thief. He was slightly taller than her with wind swept, dark blonde hair and blue and red lines painted across his forehead and cheeks. His eyes were only white voids behind his mask, but his smirk was wide and cocky.

"We are in a jewel refinery," Zelda raised an eyebrow. "Unless you really think you can make off with some of this machinery without being noticed."

The thief simply laughed, "There technically aren't any jewels here, only ore."

"That's not the best thing to make a ring out of," Zelda quipped as she charged him to trade another round of blows.

"Never thought you'd be one for sarcastic comments, Loftwing," the thief grabbed ahold of her leg as she spun to kick him. Zelda couldn't break his hold, so she was stuck with her leg trapped against his shoulder. A mischievous smile spread over the thief's face as he yanked her leg higher, causing Zelda to lose her balance and practically fall on him. Her hands fell to his shoulders, their faces inches apart, and she essentially stretched into a split against his body.

His grin darkened dangerously as he glanced down, "Flexible, nice."

Zelda wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled with all her body weight to bring him to the ground, "You could at least try and stay professional, you pervert."

"I prefer Shadow, if you don't mind," Shadow quickly broke out of her hold and both scrambled to get to their feet. "And you've kept me here longer than I intended, beautiful." He swiftly dropped and swept his leg out to knock Zelda's legs out from under her.

He ran over to where he left his bag of stolen ore, and gave her a cocky wink before declaring, "Catch you later, Loftwing." He scrambled out of one of the storage room windows and disappeared into the night.

Zelda was still riling ten minutes later when the police finally showed up. She gave them a description of the thief and what he took along with his chosen codename of 'Shadow' before declaring she wouldn't let him get away next time.

She took the next day off from work to train with Impa so she would be prepared for her next meeting with Shadow. She researched the type of ore Shadow had stolen and what it could be used for. She even looked up the markings that had been painted on his face to see if that would give her a clue to who Shadow was or where he came from.

And so Zelda waited. She kept an eye out for suspicious robberies and was always the first to respond to jewelry store break-ins for ten days before she met Shadow again.

It was at the Kakariko Natural History Museum. Zelda had chased Shadow from the Minerals of the Earth section up two floors and across the building to the History of the Sheikah Tribe exhibit.

"This is quite refreshing," Shadow's voice seemed to bounce off the walls, and Zelda couldn't pinpoint his location in the exhibit. No wonder he gave himself the codename 'Shadow.' "Usually _I'm_ the one chasing after girls."

"Don't flatter yourself," Zelda called to the semidarkness. "I'm really only after those jewels you stole. Gonna add them to your collection of ore?"

"Trying to get me to reveal my evil master plan?" Shadow tutted. "Now that just won't do, Loftwing."

"As if a petty jewel thief would have any master plans," Zelda taunted. She was so close to finding him. She just needed to keep him talking.

"Oh Loftwing, you wound me," Shadow sighed dramatically. "You really only see me as a petty jewel thief?"

"I also see you as quite the arrogant ass if that helps," Zelda smiled triumphantly as she rounded a corner to see Shadow with his back to her crouching behind a display. But it seemed the jewel thief was impossible to sneak up on. Shadow quickly turned to intercept Zelda as she ran toward him.

"I'm only an arrogant ass for you, beautiful," he smirked as they sparred amongst the displays.

Shadow soon found her weakness; she was lessening the strength of her attacks to prevent damage to the exhibit, but it hindered her maneuverability substantially. So with a simple move that Zelda wouldn't block for fear of breaking the display glass and harming the artifact within, Shadow had Zelda trapped face-first against the glass with her arms forced behind her.

"What's your name?" he whispered into her ear.

Zelda answered with an attempt to kick his legs.

Shadow merely chuckled lowly, "Come on, beautiful. I only want to know your real name."

"Like I would tell you," Zelda said with as much acid as she could muster.

"Do you want to know why I led you here?" Shadow leaned down to rest his chin against her shoulder. Even with the pain in her arms, Zelda couldn't help but notice how much of Shadow's body was pressed up against her.

"It's so we would be far enough away from the Minerals section to be undisturbed by the cops."

Zelda gasped realizing he was right; the police would never come to this part of the museum when the crime occurred two floors below them.

"So we have all night alone," his lips grazed her neck, and suddenly Zelda couldn't breathe.

"Sheik," she said, twisting her neck so he would no longer have access. "My name is Sheik."

"Interesting name," Shadow hummed. "Also the name of the ancient Sheikan warrior who protected the tribe during the Great War, so you'll understand if I don't believe you seeing as you're trapped against a display describing his heroics."

"Her," Zelda panted, feeling far too hot with Shadow's mouth so close to her skin. "Sheik was a woman."

"Really?" his grip on her wrists slackened just a little. "You believe those old wives' tales that Sheik was actually a woman?"

Zelda quickly broke his hold, flipping around and swiftly grabbing his wrists to stop his movement.

"Any intellectual who has actually spoken to a descendant of the Sheikah would know that Sheik was indeed a woman. A very badass woman, too."

"Much like yourself, I presume," Shadow flashed her a dazzling smile, but Zelda was ready this time.

"No more flirting for you, mister," she dug out some industrial grade, nylon rope from her utility belt and tied his hands together. "Now are you going to answer my questions, or do I have to drag you straight to the police?"

"Will you let me go if I answer your questions?" Shadow countered.

"Of course not," Zelda scoffed.

"Then I'm afraid we're at an impasse, beautiful."

Zelda didn't like the smug grin that rested on his face. He had something up his sleeve, and she didn't want to wait long enough for him to pull any tricks.

"I'm taking you down to the police," she declared. But as she reached over to grab his wrists, Shadow hit her with a round house kick. Zelda fell backwards, hitting the back of her head against the display glass behind her. Her vision swirled. She looked up to see the hazy outline of Shadow waltzing toward her.

"I don't have the time to waste breaking out of a cell, but it was a nice try," he leaned down in front of her, but Zelda couldn't make her limbs move to swipe at him. "I'll just have to catch you later, beautiful."

There was a slight pressure against the top of her head, and Zelda's vision went black.

She was awoken by the police thirty minutes later. The detective on duty wanted to arrest her for trespassing, but once the security footage confirmed her story of fighting Shadow to regain the stolen gems, the detective reluctantly let her go free.

Impa checked her out once she got home. She wanted to call in sick to work again, but Impa advised her against it, stating that people might see notice a pattern if she doesn't show up to work the day after every encounter Loftwing had with Shadow. So with no concussion to actually prevent her from going to Harkinian Corp. in the morning, Zelda reluctantly got up after three hours of sleep and dressed for work.

But Zelda could not keep her mind off Shadow. What were his plans? What was his motive? Where would he pop up next? Zelda was so consumed in her thoughts that she zoned out during two meetings with potential investors and had to continually ask her assistant to repeat herself whenever she was telling Zelda something.

Despite her exhaustion when she returned to the estate that evening, Zelda went straight to the secret lair to train with Impa.

"I think this constant vigilantism is causing you too much stress, Miss Zelda," Impa said after their two hour work out. "It would be prudent for you to take a break."

"Crime doesn't take a break, Impa," Zelda replied after she drank some water. "Besides, I can't miss Shadow if he decides to rob another place."

"Your desire to apprehend Shadow is clouding your judgement," Impa fixed her with a stern look.

"Someone has to bring him in," Zelda relied. "And the police certainly aren't going to be able to do it."

And so Impa reluctantly let Zelda go out on patrol, but only after getting her to promise that she would come in two hours earlier than she normally would.

Zelda hopped from building to building, making up her route as she went. Impa was right. Over the past two weeks or so, she had let Shadow consume her life outside of Loftwing, and she hadn't even notice it happening. Was it because he was the first adversary she had come across that she couldn't beat? Or could it be his cocky attitude? The way he was always incessantly flirting and how handsome he looked while fighting?

Woah, did she really just think Shadow was handsome? Where did that come from?

But before she could examine her strange thought train derailment, the police scanner on her communications unit reported a robbery at a jewelry store. Shadow was back to work quicker than she thought. Zelda made her way to the jewelry store, intent on paying him back for knocking her out last night.

She arrived at the jewelry store just as smoke started leaking out of the busted door, and Shadow was sneaking out via the roof. She followed him at a distance, hoping he would lead her to whatever hideout he probably used in the city. It was going well for about three blocks, and then he jumped over a fire escape, and she lost him. She walked to the edge of the building to see if he was down in the alley still running, but he was nowhere in sight.

"Yo! Loftwing!"

Or not.

Zelda turned around to see Shadow smiling mockingly at her. He gave her a tiny wave.

"I'm actually pretty glad you followed me away from the police. You see, I've got a bone to pick with you," Shadow thrust an accusatory finger in her direction, his smile furrowing into a frown. "Why the hell did you have to tie me up in industrial grade rope, huh? I couldn't get it off myself and had to ask my neighbor to untie me, and do you want to know what I had to wind up telling her as an excuse? That my girlfriend left me high and dry while we were playing at bondage!"

Zelda snorted before collapsing in giggles. She had no idea what she had been expecting Shadow to say, but it definitely wasn't that.

"And the worst part is," Shadow continued ranting. "She gave me this knowing smile like it was a hundred percent viable excuse. I don't even have a girlfriend, man!"

Zelda couldn't stop laughing. Her knees already felt weak, and her cheeks were beginning to hurt from smiling. She let Shadow continue to rant for five minutes before she held up a hand to stop him.

"Oh my Goddess," she breathed deeply to try and stop the laughter that was still bubbling up. "You're serious, aren't you? That's probably the best thing I've heard in my entire life."

"I'm glad my embarrassing life stories amuse you," Shadow griped.

Zelda rolled her eyes, her smile refusing to fall from her face just yet, "You're the one who turned around just to tell me this story."

"So you would feel guilty," Shadow crossed his arms defiantly like a pouty child. "Not so you would laugh at me."

"Then your story shouldn't have been funny," Zelda retorted with a smirk.

"I demand compensation," Shadow grinned slyly. "Tell me your name, and I'll consider us even."

"So that's your angle," Zelda's smile fell. There went the light mood. She stalked over to Shadow and rather violently prodded him in the chest with her finger.

"First of all, you are a criminal. The fact that I tied you up does not deserve compensation of any sort. Secondly, my name would absolutely not be equal compensation for tying you up. And most importantly, I will never tell you my name."

Shadow laced a frown over his features and rubbed the spot Zelda had poked, "I'm hurt, Loftwing. I thought we had a real connection, one that could develop into something more."

"Really?" Zelda couldn't resist a weak jab at his chest that he easily blocked. "You could have fooled me with the way you knocked me out last night. You know the detective on duty wanted to arrest me for trespassing? Not cool, Shadow." She threw another punch with a little more power behind it.

Shadow dodged with a laugh, "So are we going to fight over who had the worst night yesterday? 'Cause I really think my story is totally worse." He retaliated with a simple right hook Zelda easily blocked.

"Do you ever get tired of hearing yourself talk?" Zelda asked as she aimed a kick to Shadow' stomach.

"Never, beautiful," he laughed as they exchanged a few more blows. "It's just a part of my charm."

"I thought that was what the flirting was for," Zelda snapped. Her punches were backed with more power, and Shadow actually grunted when one landed on his side.

"Awe, Loftwing," he cooed in a way that would have been annoying if Zelda hadn't interrupted him with a punch in the gut. "You aren't jealous, are you? Come on, beautiful; you know I don't flirt with anyone else when I try to escape. Not even the really cute cops, I promise."

"Jealousy would imply actual feelings," Zelda grunted as Shadow threw a particularly powerful punch her way. "And I don't have any feelings for you." A weird, twisty, churning feeling that had nothing to do with Shadow's latest kick bloomed in her gut.

"That just means I have to try harder to wear you down," Shadow chuckled. Zelda could swear he winked at her behind his mask.

"Oh that's what we're calling it now?" Zelda huffed as she sent another barrage of kicks at Shadow.

He blocked the kicks then swiftly wrapped his arm around Zelda's waist and pulled her close to him.

"Why don't we make this dance more literal?" he wiggled his eyebrows.

Zelda began to protest, but her hands were pressed against Shadow's belt, or more specifically, the bag of stolen jewels clipped to his belt.

"If you want to dance with me," Zelda whispered in the sultry voice she used on guys in college before she slapped them for being handsy. "You'll have to score an invite to one of my parties."

"So you throw parties?" Shadow chuckled. "And so the mystery grows."

"Parties, galas, the occasional work dinner," Zelda leaned in a touch closer. "But it'll take more than that for you to see me without my mask."

"Just wait until I sneak into one of your parties, beautiful," Shadow winked behind his mask before pulling away from Zelda and back flipping off the building.

But Zelda didn't feel the need to pursue, not with the bag of jewels in her hands.

The next day, Zelda was bubbly and smiling at everyone. She didn't realize she was acting differently until her secretary asked her if she was alright.

"Oh, I'm fine," Zelda smiled. "Just happy for no meetings today."

"Well you do have a couple of small meetings, Miss," her secretary smiled. "Just a lunch meeting with the president of the Kakariko State University Future Business Leader's Association to talk about some internship possibilities for Association members, and then at two you have a meeting with the director of the Kakariko Humane Society to talk about their latest fundraising dinner."

"See but those are easy meetings," Zelda nodded as she took a sip of her coffee.

The young and peppy president of the Kakariko State University Future Business Leader's Association nearly talked Zelda to death, and Zelda somehow agreed to come speak at their next meeting before she even knew what was happening.

And the director of the Kakariko Humane Society was really cute, so Zelda felt the need to buy an entire table for his fundraising dinner next week. She could guilt trip her board members into going with her if her friends couldn't make it.

Needless to say, Zelda was in a pretty happy mood for patrol as Loftwing that night. She managed to finally get one of the drug dealers to reveal their source and stopped three robberies. She was just about to head in for the night when, surprise, surprise, Shadow dropped down in front of her with that Cheshire grin across his face.

"Have I told you, you have a beautiful smile?" he asked.

Zelda eyed him suspiciously, "No, I don't think so."

"Well you do," his smiled widened.

"Is there something you need, Shadow?"

"Oh, no not really," his grin somehow widened even more. "I just wanted to see the famous Loftwing in her downtime."

"I'm patrolling," Zelda rolled her eyes. "This isn't downtime." She ran toward the edge of the building and jumped to the neighboring roof. But that wasn't enough to shake her Shadow.

"You're not fighting off criminals; that's downtime enough for me," he smirked as he landed gracefully next to her. He grabbed her by the arm to stop her from running off again.

"Well, don't blame me if you get left behind then," Zelda scowled. She shook off his hold and took off running as fast as she could, intent on losing Shadow in the jungle gym that was the skyline of Kakariko.

She circled around downtown and climbed the flag pole on the top of the courthouse dome.

"Is that the best you can do, beautiful?" Shadow called above the wind from the base of the flagpole.

"Are you issuing a challenge?"

"Only if you're willing to participate," Shadow smirked. "For a prize of course."

Zelda slid down the flagpole, "I _might_ be game, as long as the prize isn't my name."

"How about a kiss then?" Shadow raised an eyebrow. His expression was playful and teasing; Zelda couldn't tell if he was entirely serious or not. It was a harmless bet. She would just have to win, and then it wouldn't be a problem.

"Deal."

Shadow's smile spread to a full on shit-eating grin, "How about we name check points to meet up at. Whoever gets there first gets a point. Whoever had the most points at the end of the night wins."

"Who gets to decide what the checkpoints are?" Zelda asked.

"We can switch off to make it fair."

Zelda felt her adrenaline rising. The anticipation, the race, it was making her feel giddy in a way she hadn't felt since she first donned her cape as Loftwing.

"So where to first?" she asked, already bouncing on her heels.

"Lady's choice," Shadow leaned in close enough that their noses almost touched.

Zelda surprised herself by not pulling away, "The old windmill on the edge of town."

She sent Shadow a wink then leapt of the courthouse dome into the open air. She effortlessly glided down to an office building across the street then started to make her way to the old abandoned windmill she had set as the checkpoint. History books say it had drawn water for Kakariko when it was still but a small village, and really if it weren't such an important historical landmark, the city would have torn it down years ago. Zelda made it there in good time and counted to sixty before Shadow landed behind her.

"One point for you, beautiful," Shadow smirked. "Enjoy your lead while you can."

"Where to next, Shadow?" Zelda attempted to roll her eyes but found she couldn't thanks to the smile spreading across her cheeks.

"The Temple by the graveyard," Shadow declared. "Not the super old, creepy one at the back. The top of the steeple at the Temple in the front. Our Ladies of Something and Someother."

"It's Hope and Love," Zelda corrected, but Shadow was already off.

She quickly grappled to the nearest tall building in order to catch up to him. Zelda had never felt this alive in her life. She was almost glad Shadow had come to her tonight and proposed this game. She hadn't had this much fun since before her parents died.

She climbed up the steeple of the Temple of Our Ladies of Hope and Love. Zelda was rarely on this side of town; there wasn't enough crime to warrant frequent patrolling of the area.

"Nice of you to drop by," Shadow suddenly dropped down beside her. "I only got here half a minute before you, so don't worry. You didn't lose by much."

"I won't be losing anymore, Shadow," Zelda smirked. "Next checkpoint is the top of Old Main on Kakariko State's campus. Know where it is?"

"I might have toured the campus once or twice or seven times while in grade school," Shadow sneered. "You won't be winning this round, Loftwing."

"Then prove me wrong, handsome," Zelda laughed as she jumped off the Temple steeple to glide to a building across the street.

She didn't realize what she had said to Shadow until she was half way to Kakariko State University's campus. Zelda almost stopped dead in her tracks. She called Shadow 'handsome' to his face. How could she have said such a thing? He was never going to let that go; Shadow was going to bring that up every time they ran into each other from now until eternity. She couldn't face him again. But she also couldn't lose this bet. She would just have to play it off, Zelda decided, pretend she said it to throw him off and give herself a lead.

But does that mean she actually meant it?

Her mind was still jumbled when she arrived at the roof of Old Main, Kakariko State's academic building. No matter how thoroughly she thought it through, Zelda could not convince herself that she didn't think Shadow was handsome.

"There you are," Shadow called from the ledge of the dome that sat atop Old Main. "You sure took you time getting here."

"Looks like my trick didn't work," Zelda fake-sighed. "Me calling you 'handsome' didn't slow you down at all, did it?"

"Not in the slightest," he slipped from the ledge he was sitting on and made his way over to where Zelda was standing. "But it did seem to trip you up." Shadow slowly invaded her personal space with a smirk across his lips, but Zelda refused to step back. "Didn't it, beautiful?"

He reached for a stray strand of brunette hair that was hovering in front of Zelda's face and gently tucked it behind her ear. His fingers grazed the edge of her domino mask, and suddenly that out of breath feeling hit Zelda again. She stumbled backward, turning away from Shadow against her crime-fighting instincts.

"Where," she began, but she had to take a deep breath before continuing. "Where to next?"

"The top of Harkinia Corp.'s headquarters," Shadow said. Zelda knew he could clearly see the shock in her face. "What? Scared the tallest building in the city might have too romantic a view, Loftwing?"

"No," she practically growled. "I'll beat you there no matter what."

"You better," Shadow called keeping right behind her as she jumped from rooftop to rooftop to exit Kakariko State's campus. "Otherwise I'll start to think you're losing this bet on purpose."

His laughter still echoed in her ears even as she pulled away from him and made her way across the city to her own office building. She did so almost mindlessly; Harkinian Corp.'s tower was always her halfway point on patrols. She was sure she would beat Shadow there. And then she was going to punch him for the little stunt he pulled on the roof of Old Main. And maybe she would punch him again if he tried to pull anything else on the roof of Harkinian Corp. 'Too romantic a view' her ass.

Zelda was so caught up in her thoughts, that she didn't notice Shadow in front of her until she was two blocks away from Harkinian Corp. Dammit. Letting Shadow get to the top of the skyscraper first was _not_ an option. Zelda picked up her speed, pushing her grappling gun to its limits in order to hop from roof to roof quicker. But it wasn't enough. She was seconds away from touching down on the roof of Harkinian Corp. when she saw Shadow saunter onto the rooftop. Zelda felt like screaming as she landed on the concrete roof.

"So close," Shadow laughed as he traipsed over toward her. "Yet so far."

Zelda shot menacing daggers from her eyes before she remembered Shadow couldn't actually see her eyes behind her domino mask.

"I guess I should just show mercy on you and take my prize now," he smirked. "Unless you wish to continue."

"Ah, yes," Zelda said harshly. She stalked toward him, meeting him halfway across the roof, and stopping close enough to make him lean back slightly. "Why don't we make our next checkpoint the roof of Precinct 1? I'm sure the cops would just love you voluntarily landing on their building."

"I think I'll pass on that one," Shadow clearly rolled his eyes even though Zelda couldn't see it. "Let's just call an end to our game, hmm? I won't even kiss you if that's what's bothering you so much."

Zelda narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Shadow. If she called off the bet with no kiss, Shadow would turn her words back on her claiming she had feelings for him, which she absolutely did not. But if she just gave in and let him have his kiss, well… she'd be giving in and letting him have his kiss. It was a lose, lose situation, and Zelda couldn't see a way out of it at all.

"That's not what's bothering me," she scoffed to buy herself some time to think. Then Zelda heard the distance wailing of sirens on the street far below them. That was strange; her emergency signal tracker hadn't picked anything up. _Her emergency signal tracker hadn't picked anything up._ She quickly examined her gauntlets where the communications unit was located.

"All of my comms are shut off," Zelda whispered. How could she have not noticed until now?

"Loftwing?" Shadow stepped forward cautiously.

"Did you do this?" Zelda turned to him menacingly. "Did you shut of my comms so I wouldn't be distracted from your stupid game?"

"No!" he gasped, leaping back as Zelda advanced on him. "I would never, Loftwing; you have my word."

"Sad thing is, I don't trust your word," Zelda lashed out at him angrily. Her movements were sloppy and filled with rage, but she didn't care. He had the opportunity to shut of her comm system when he grabbed her arm on that very first rooftop they met on. Shadow had prevented her from fulfilling her duty to protect Kakariko, to save peoples' lives, to honor her parents' memories.

Zelda froze mid-punch. She was lashing out at Shadow for all the attention she had focus on him and not the rest of her duties, angry at him for being the only criminal so far she had yet to bring in to the police, fighting with him when all he had really done was exist.

"I'm sorry," she hung her head. She had let anger cloud her judgment; Impa would be disappointed.

Shadow seemed to hesitate for a second before quickly wrapping his arms around her and gently sealing their lips together.

Zelda was not expecting that. It was literally the last thing she thought she would be doing that night. But, damn, if it wasn't the best kiss she's had in her life. Not that she would ever tell Shadow that, especially after she decked him with a mean right hook when they separated.

"That was for not asking first," she growled out. Zelda had to resist the urge to pull him back toward her for another kiss. Wow, where did that come from?

"So if I ask, can I kiss you again?" Shadow's face lit up into a ridiculous smile.

Zelda was at the edge of the rooftop already. She slowly turned around with a coy smile and laughing eyes hidden behind her mask.

"Only if you ask nicely."

Three hours later, Zelda was in her bedroom screaming into a pillow.

"I can't believe I did that," she howled to an apathetic Impa. "I let him kiss me. And then I told him he could do it again." She screamed into the pillow again. "What is wrong with me?"

"You are attracted to him," Impa stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"But he's a thief," Zelda whined. "He steals precious jewels and ore, and this is bad; it's hazardous."

"Are you afraid you are compromised by your feelings?" Impa asked bluntly.

"I know I am, Impa," Zelda rolled over to look her house keeper in the eye. "I spent practically the half night playing tag with him and barely helping anyone, and then I let him kiss me, and I enjoyed it."

"But you found out where the suppliers are for all the dealers in the city," Impa attempted to cheer her up. "Now you can focus on taking that down instead of Shadow."

"That's true," Zelda nodded and rubbed her face. "Time to start investigating."

Zelda spent the next week working, taking short patrols across Kakariko, and scoping out the drug supplies that were hidden in the mountains. The storehouses were so extensive, Zelda thought she might have to call in the help of the police department. But there wasn't time for that now. Zelda had a fundraiser to go to.

Zelda put on her favorite dress, the sparkly purple one with the halter top and the slit that was just high enough to be sexy but not high enough to be called slutty. She was meeting a couple of friends from college and a few of the board members she managed to guilt trip into attending at the dinner. When she gracefully exited her car, Zelda was surprised to see the director of the Humane Society waiting for her.

"Miss Harkinian," he offered his arm to escort her. Dang, he looked good in a tux.

"Call me Zelda, please," she smiled as she took his arm, and they started walking. "You didn't have to come escort me, Link."

He chuckled, "I couldn't let this evening pass without saying thank you to the largest donor here." His smile faltered as he realized what he said. "Ah, shit no, I meant you gave the largest donation to the Humane Society, not that you are, like, physically large. You actually look stunning in that dress. Dammit, there went my suave first impression." Link hung his head after his ramble. Zelda could only laugh.

"No, it's okay," Zelda couldn't stop the small chuckles escaping her lips. "This is better; now we don't have to be pretentiously formal with each other."

Link smiled, "If you say so. Shall I show you to your table?"

"Yes, please," Zelda smiled as their photo was taken. They walked to a table near the front center, and Link pulled out a chair in between Ashei, one of Zelda's college friends, and one of the stuffy board members of Harkinian Corp.

"Don't be a stranger, Link," Zelda winked as he left to entertain some more guests.

"You're sweet on that guy, yeah?" Ashei leaned in close to Zelda and smirked.

"There's nothing wrong with helping a good cause," Zelda shrugged, hiding her grin by taking a sip of wine.

The fundraiser was quite the success. Link came back over to talk with Zelda at least three separate times, and he even escorted her out to her car when she left a little early so she could have a short patrol as Loftwing before going to bed.

"Feel free to call me if you ever need anything," Zelda smiled, hesitating before getting into her car.

"I will," Link's eyes sparkled, and damn they were so blue.

"I'll see you later then," Zelda couldn't stop smiling as she slipped into the car.

"Maybe quicker than you think," he winked before closing the door for her.

"So I take it you had a good time, Miss Zelda?" Impa asked from the driver's seat.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't comment, Impa," Zelda tried to snap, but it didn't sound right with a smile plastered across her face.

Later that night, Zelda was letting out her excitement by twirling across rooftops and flipping excessively when jumping from one place to another. It wasn't until she heard clapping as she crossed one rooftop that Zelda felt mildly self-conscious of her movements.

"Lovely show," Shadow called. "When should I expect your name in lights?"

"Give me five years and I'll take the stage by storm," Zelda laughed.

"Someone had a good night," Shadow raised an eyebrow. "Care to share the juicy details?"

"I think the juicy details would only hurt your feelings," Zelda sighed. "But if you must know, I met a guy."

"Loftwing," Shadow gasped, playfully scandalized. "Have you been cheating on me?"

"Oh no," Zelda smirked. "This guy I actually like."

Shadow comically threw a hand over his heart, "Now that hurts me deep, Loftwing. How would Link feel about you being so vicious?"

Zelda froze, "I never said his name."

"Funny thing about Links though," Shadow chuckled and reached up to his domino mask. "There aren't all that many in the world."

Zelda gasped as Shadow took off his domino mask revealing brilliant, blue, _familiar_ eyes.

"You said I could call if I ever needed anything, right?" Link smiled. "Well I have a proposition."

"How do you know who I am?" Zelda asked, still wary of the thief.

"I wasn't one hundred percent sure until you reacted to my name," Link smiled sheepishly. "But it was a silly thing really. When we played tag, you wore the same earrings as Zelda Harkinian when I met her for our meeting earlier that day. And then your smile is pretty unique, uh in a good way. As in it's really beautiful, and 'I could recognize that smile everywhere,' you know?"

"We're going back to my place," Zelda declared. She started to stalk off the roof.

"I, uh, you need a ride?" Link called after her.

She turned, "You got one?"

Ten minutes later, Link was driving his motorcycle into the secret lair Zelda had been operating out of under her mountain estate.

He whistled lowly as he turned the engine off, "This is so much nicer than the back room of my shelter."

"You have a shelter?" Zelda asked as she finally took of her own domino mask.

"Yeah, I own and operate the Kakariko Animal Shelter," Link said as he stared around the lair. "It's hilariously underfunded, and I had to take to stealing things from people who totally deserved it by the way so the animals in the shelter could get the proper care they need."

"So what is this proposition you mentioned earlier?" Zelda stared at him, hands on her hips.

"Well, Shadow wouldn't need to take to the streets stealing jewels if the KAS was funded by the charitable Zelda Harkinian, who recently found a passion for helping the animals of Kakariko at a recent fundraising dinner."

"That sounds pretty plausible," Zelda tilted her head to the side. "What would I get out of it?"

"A partner," Link's bravado faded once again. "If you want one, I mean, if you'll have me."

"Did you just ask me to be your girlfriend?" she couldn't resist the tease.

"Only if you're offering, beautiful," Link smirked. For once, Zelda could see the mischievous Shadow in Link's blue eyes.

"We'll talk," Zelda conceded. "But I'll agree to your other conditions. I'll help fund your animal shelter, and you can be my partner permitted you stop committing crimes."

"Deal!" Link smiled enthusiastically.

They could hash out the details later, Zelda figured as she took in the huge grin on Link's face. For right now, she wanted to get to know this lighter side to her Shadow.


	5. With You

It had been a month since Link had officially moved out of the castle, so Zelda didn't know why she was doing this now. Picking up his leftover things as if she was a common maid. Not that there's anything wrong with maids or their work. Zelda just didn't really understand why _she_ was doing this. She could have simply asked any other maid to do all this for her, but then again, she really couldn't.

The next day on her way into the stables for an afternoon ride, one of the stable hands, Reynolds if Zelda remembered correctly, asked her to say hello to Link the next time she saw him. She had to turn around and head back to the castle so the stable hand wouldn't see her tears. It was ridiculous. She had a mutual agreement with Link that they would break off their courtship, and he would leave the castle and live his own life. A life without structure and walls. A life where he could be the adventurer he always was in his heart.

But, Zelda mused, that didn't mean letting go was going to be easy. She had begun advoiding the places in the castle grounds and Castletown where they had taken evening strolls or sat and talked for hours. Her heart ached too much. And then it seemed as if echoes of Link were haunting the castle like ghosts. Try as she might, despite the discipline of her royal training, Zelda could never really keep her mind off Link for long periods of time. Her days were different; her nights were different. It was as if they were taken with Link when he left.

 _You took my days with you, took my nights with you._

Link spent all his time traveling, visiting all those he had met before he was sent back in time to relive his childhood. He reconnected with Ruto, Darunia, even Saria briefly. But what was best was seeing Malon again. She was probably his best friend besides Zelda.

He paused in his thoughts. It still hurt to think about Zelda. He had loved her, truly loved her, but there was no way it would work out. Even he could see that one of them would end up miserable if they stayed together and got married. Link just wasn't made to stay cooped up in a castle, and Zelda could never leave her duties as Crown Princess. Star-crossed lovers, Ruto had called them. Lovers unable to be with each other due to outstanding circumstances.

There were so many things Link felt were unfinished between him and Zelda, though. There were conversations they never got around to having, like the full story of what happened in Termina, or even his adventures through time with the Ocarina and awakening the Seven Sages. Some part of Link desired to finish these talks. He felt like a child having mental conversations with Zelda, and sometimes he even went far enough to write letters to her detailing his adventures, past and present. But he never sent them.

They had agreed that total cutoff was the best, and no matter how badly Link wished to pop back into the castle like he used to, he respected Zelda's wishes. He couldn't stay anyway. But it was hard, knowing his heart was broken, and it would just keep breaking every day. Everything he had hoped, everything he had dreamed all his life had involved Zelda, was now left with Zelda.

 _You took my hopes with you, took my dreams with you._

Zelda stared out the window sometimes, thinking she might see a flash of a red mare, a hint of a green tunic. Her handmaidens doted on her, calling her lovesick. Impa briskly told her it was all in her head. But for some reason, in the back of her mind, Zelda couldn't accept that it had ended just yet. She didn't want to give in to reality. The pain was too much, the regret too big. She couldn't live like this. Her life, her true life, the one filled with smiles and laughter and happiness and love, was with Link. But Link wasn't there.

 _You took my life with you,_

Link couldn't keep pretending he didn't care. He held in his pain around his friends, but he knew they all saw through him. Malon always gave him that look of hers that said she was concerned but wasn't going to say anything out of respect for his pride. But he couldn't quite comprehend not seeing Zelda every day, not holding her hand or walking around with her. He still caught himself looking around for Zelda when he found a new and amazing place on his travels or saw something he knew she would love or whenever someone said a joke that made him laugh. He wanted her here with him, to experience the world with him. His world, his whole world, the one with excitement and joy and true adventure and love, was with Zelda. But Zelda had left him alone.

 _Took my world with you._


	6. Courage, Wisdom, Power

It was Link's turn to stay with Callum. The young boy was almost five years old, but he and Zelda had decided to take extra precautions. The High Priest had assured them numerous times that the Triforce of Power was not inherently evil, but the King and Queen felt the need to give their first child every form of protection they could think of. That included either Zelda or Link staying up part of the night in their son's room.

Sadly, that also meant an early wake-up call in the form of Callum jumping up and down in Link's lap in the morning.

"Papa," Callum cried cheerfully. "No bad dreams. None at all."

"That's good," Link rubbed his eyes wearily. "Really good, yeah. Are you ready for breakfast?"

Callum's face fell slightly, and he shook his head. He quickly ran off to grab the proper clothes and throw them on. Link smiled slightly when he had to step in to turn Callum's shirt the right way around. He couldn't help the way his face fell when he saw the glow of the Triforce of Power on his son's right hand.

"Ready," Callum proudly proclaimed when he slipped his shoes on.

They walked (or skipped in Callum's case) down to the breakfast parlor. Zelda was already there waiting for them. Callum barreled into the room and ran directly into his mother's arms.

"Mama!" he smiled brightly. "No bad dreams."

"Yay," Zelda cheered as she bundled Callum into her lap. "That means we're going to have a good day, right?"

"Yes, ma'am," Callum nodded. He reached for Zelda's fork, still filled with forgotten eggs when Callum stole Zelda's attention.

"No, sir," Zelda scolded. "Eat at your own plate."

"Sorry," Callum moved to his own seat and began eating breakfast.

"What's on the agenda today, my dear?" Link asked as he, too, began eating his breakfast.

"Court for an hour after lunch," Zelda read off the schedule at her side. "Then a budget meeting for the Goddess' Day Gala next month. We should finish by supper, which the Daugherty's have invited us to at their estate."

"Nothing this morning?" Link asked.

"No," she smiled. "I thought we could spend this time with Callum. You've been wanting to teach him how to ride, haven't you Link?"

Callum's eyes brightened, "Can we, Papa?"

"I don't see why not?" Link smiled at his son. "Why don't you go put on riding clothes after you're done eating?"

Callum nodded enthusiastically and started shoveling his sausage and eggs into his mouth. As soon as their son left, Zelda leaned closer to Link.

"Did he really do good yesterday?"

"Yes," Link nodded sincerely. "He only got angry once but didn't end up going into a tantrum."

"That is good," Zelda smiled. "I was thinking of going to the High Priest. No, Link I know he's going to get sick of us, but I want some healthy ways to deal with his anger."

"I understand," Link reached for Zelda's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "I see how the other nobles treat their kids sometimes, and I don't want that for Callum. If we ignore and suppress his powers and their side effects, it'll only make it worse in the long run."

"I agree," Zelda squeezed Link's hand back. "Now Callum should be back any moment."

They stood just as their son barreled back into the breakfast parlor.

"Papa?" Callum asked breathlessly. "If I'm good enough, can I ride Epona? Please?"

"You know what, son?" Link kneeled down so he was eye level with Callum. "We're actually going to start with Epona so you can learn to ride on a well behaved horse."

Callum's eyes grew to the size of saucers, and Link smiled as he was tugged out of the castle to the stables.

* * *

"Hmm," the High Priest stroked his short beard in thought. "I do see your concern, my Lady. Lessening the, ah, adverse side effects of the Triforce of Power will help young Callum control and eventually harness its power."

"We'll wait on harnessing his power when he's older," Zelda laughed nervously. "But that's the idea, yes."

"Well, I always suggest meditation," the Priest began. "It helps calm the mind and center the body, and Sir Link could help young Callum since I have tutored him in this technique since he was gifted with the Triforce of Courage."

"That would be a great start," Zelda nodded. "Callum has always been closer to Link, so he would be more likely to take to meditation if Link was the one to teach him."

"Another step would be to have him continually learning," the High Priest continued. "Our research has shown that the Triforce of Power grants a mind that learns as quickly as Sir Link and as thoroughly as you would. So keep young Callum's mind engaged in learning, but stay with subjects he will find useful in the future. You should have no problem with that considering he will be Crown Prince someday."

"Yes," Zelda nodded. "Link is actually teaching him horseback riding as we speak. But Callum really might have the ability to be smarter than both Link and I?"

"Among other abilities, yes," the Priest answered. "The Triforce affects everyone differently. Our research has shown enhanced physical power, higher level strategic thinking, and offensive magic powers, along with minor abilities such as the ability to detect when someone's lying."

"Interesting," Zelda pondered this new information. "I'll talk with Link about this. It seems like a good start. Thank you, High Priest."

"Anytime, my Lady."

* * *

"Papa?" Callum asked suddenly as he sat astride Epona. "Why do you and Mama worry about my dreams so much?"

"Mama gets dreams sometimes," Link said as he continued to lead Epona around the field. "They're caused by the Triforce of Wisdom. The dreams always mean something special, but sometimes they are very scary. So Mama and I just want to make sure that if you have a special dream we know about it."

"Oh, okay," Callum nodded, but the look in his eyes showed he didn't really understand just yet.

* * *

Callum was now ten, and if it weren't for his short stature (Link blamed himself), Zelda would think her son was closer to sixteen or seventeen. He was so mature, a perfect gentleman, and so smart, his tutors told Link and Zelda, he was learning the equivalent studies of a student in their final year of secondary school.

The prince was like a sponge, taking in everything his parents could teach him. Link had started Callum's tutoring in war strategy and weapon mastery five years earlier than normal due to his son's enthusiasm for learning.

And everywhere Callum went, little Ellowyn was determined to follow. Being barely four years old, Ellowyn was nowhere near as smart as her older brother, but she was determined to learn everything Callum was, though most of the time she spent drawing or reading instead of actually paying attention to the lesson.

What Link and Zelda found most amazing about their children's relationship was that Ellowyn tempered Callum's tendency to anger easily. When Zelda asked him about it, he told her it was because he was trying to be a good role model for his little sister.

"Why do you worry about me being angry so much?" Callum asked his mother. "You ask about it a lot."

"Anger is a very dangerous thing sometimes," Zelda explained. "It takes over your feelings, warps your judgement, and makes you do things you will end up regretting or worse, things you do not regret."

"So you're worried I might lose control of my powers if I'm angry?"

"Yes," Zelda nodded solemnly. "But your father and I worry about the same thing for ourselves. It's dangerous for any of us to lose control of our powers. So we must be vigilant if we don't want to unintentionally hurt others."

"I see," Callum tilted his head. Zelda, however, knew it would take a little more time before her son truly understood.

* * *

"You're doing very good, Callum," Link smiled at his son. "Focus on the will to protect; protect others by fighting the battles no one else can."

"I got it, Father," Callum smiled back. The red aura surrounding him strengthened.

"Are you under control?" Link called.

"Yes."

"Good. Now visualize the energy around you condensing, forming a solid beam, and firing toward the target."

The aura around Callum slowly moved to condensing just as Link instructed. Sweat formed on the prince's brow as he forced the magic into a bolt of red light. But just as the bolt seemed to come together, the aura dissipated, and Callum almost fell from exhaustion.

"Brother," Ellowyn rushed forward, but it was too much for the ten-year-old to hold up her sixteen-year-old brother.

"Hey, ah, thanks Ellie," Callum ended up sitting on the ground. "Can I rest for a bit, Father?"

"Yes, son," Link smiled as he came to sit next to Callum and Ellowyn in the grass. "We're not going to try this again until tomorrow so you can get your full strength back."

"That would be wise," Callum chuckled. "Maybe we could try some defensive spells. Mother always says they require less power as a whole."

"But you have the Triforce of Power," Ellowyn tilted her head. "That doesn't make sense."

"Ellie's right," Link nodded. "Since you have the Triforce of Power, it's going to be harder for you to perform defensive magic, just as it's hard for your mother to perform offensive spells."

"An interesting trade-off," Callum pondered. "Yet another reason why each of the pieces of the Triforce are just one part of a whole."

"Exactly," Zelda's voice carried to them from across the training field. "That is why united, the bearers of the Triforce pieces can do anything." She gracefully sat on the grass with the rest of her family. "Now do you understand why we've worried so much about you and your power? Why we stressed the way you think about it, use it, and control it?"

"Yes, I understand now," Callum nodded. "But you must admit, we would be pretty unstoppable if we worked together."

"Now that's the Triforce of Power talking," Link teased, reaching over to ruffle his son's hair. "And you're forgetting Ellie."

"Oh, never," Callum reached over to Ellowyn, and tugged her into his lap. "She's the magic that holds us together, obviously."

For the first time in sixteen years, Link and Zelda didn't worry about their son and his Triforce of Power.


	7. Breathless

It was after one of the galas held at the castle. Some important politician's birthday, maybe the Prime Minister's; Zelda couldn't remember now. She could tell by the look in Link's eyes, he was ready to leave but not quite ready to go home, so she suggested getting coffee. At midnight. 'Cause why not.

Zelda climbed into Link's truck, making sure not to let her party dress get caught in the door. Link took of his jacket so he was only wearing the vest of his tuxedo. She idly played with the buttons on his coat.

"Is there anywhere in particular you would like to go, Princess?" Link asked jokingly. "I hear the best coffee is found in Lake Town. I could have us there by morning."

Zelda laughed, saying the local Milk Bar would be fine enough. But there was something behind Link's eyes, something more than his normal mischievous and teasing nature.

They made small talk as they drive, classes, homework, Link's woes as a dorm RA, Zelda's rants about how biased her poly sci professor is. They end up at the Milk Bar that's closest to campus. The neon light of the sign reflected off the thick, gold chain of her necklace.

"Hey, Zel," Link whispered as he opened the car door for her. "Look up."

Her shoulder brushed his as she looked up at the night sky. The moon was full, the stars were bright despite the shining lights of the city, and a comet was arching through the sky.

"Hylia's Comet," Zelda gasped. She turned around to see Link smiling down at her. "I completely forgot."

He wrapped his arms around her, "Let's get some coffee, hm?"

Zelda nodded. It was only one simple touch, but in the silence, Zelda could hear every unspoken word.

They ended up in Zelda's apartment. Link was already up, making breakfast presumably. She threw on his shirt. The white button down was a little wrinkled, but it didn't matter. Walking into the kitchen, Zelda saw Link turn with a sheepish expression on his face.

"Sorry," he smiled apologetically. "I burnt the toast."

Zelda laughed in that carefree way she really hadn't until she met Link.

"That's okay," she smiled back. "It's better crispy anyway."

"Whatever you say," he mumbled as he turned to scoop the eggs onto a plate.

It was Sunday, a traditionally lazy day for Zelda, but Link had to get back to the dorm for his shift at the front desk. They finished breakfast, and Link got ready to leave.

"Can I have my shirt back?" he smirked.

"Can we do this again?" she countered.

"We can most definitely do this again," Link pulled her in for a long kiss.

"Then I'm keeping your shirt," she whispered against his lips.

Zelda watched Link drive away from her window. She felt more at ease with him than she had with any other guy she had been with. Any fears she had about Link being with her because of her title or money or publicity were gone; she knew he would never do that to her. And such a little step meant the world to her.

They ended up in Link's room the next time, a few weeks later. It was fun being with Link. He would drag Zelda into spontaneous kisses while they were walking to class. They would have fights about the littlest of things such as what movie to watch and talk about anything and everything, and despite the occasional annoyance, Zelda loved their conversations because it meant they were friends growing closer every day.

But this night, this night was special. Zelda could just tell by the way Link's face looked, the way his gaze lingered, the way he smiled at everything she said.

She woke up before him and turned to look at his sleeping face. Link was adorable in his sleep. His features somehow softened, and he resembled a puppy asleep after a tiring but satisfying day. Zelda had to fight down a giggle as his lips twitched in a smile while he dreamed.

A few minutes passed, and Link blinked his eyes open. He immediately broke into an infectious grin when he saw her. Then his eyes softened, much like they had the night before. He opened his mouth, paused, closed it, then opened it again.

"You know you're my best friend, right?" he asked.

Zelda blinked for a second then smiled, "You know you're my best friend, too, right?"

Link's smile returned even bigger than before, and he pulled Zelda into a very enthusiastic kiss.

He drove Zelda back to her place after a late breakfast. They sat in companionable silence, each lost to their own thoughts. Zelda knew what he had meant. _You're my best friend_. She knew just like how she could feel it even as they were driving. _He is in love._

And so they danced around each other for a couple of more weeks, going to events at the castle and outings to museums and parks and dates at the library or local café. Neither had admitted to what they both already knew. The next time Zelda spent the night at Link's she saw a photo of her on his desk from when they had been playing in the autumn leaves strewn about campus.

She had thought she knew, but it wasn't until then that she fully realized.

 _You're in love_ , she told herself.

It came as such a sudden realization, but once Zelda knew, truly knew, it was like a comforting blanket wrapped around her everywhere she went, like a bright, warming light in her chest that she could see even when the lights were out.

So she decided to tell him on a random day, at a random time, because he gave her that adorable, sheepish look that left her breathless, and the warmth in her heart just swelled.

"I love you."

Link's eyes softened in that way that just made Zelda's heart swell even more.

"I love you, too."


End file.
